Children at Carousel Nursery School, Olari celebrated Holi with lots of enthusiasm. Holi is a festival celebrated in the Indian subcontinent. It marks the arrival of spring. It is also a day to meet friends and celebrate by smearing each other’s faces and clothes with colours. Sweets and goodies are exchanged and there is lots of singing and dancing.

Celebrating multiculturalism
Extending knowledge of different cultures is an important part of the curriculum at Carousel Nursery School. At Carousel nursery School, families are welcome to share their celebrations and it is viewed as a learning opportunity both for children and teachers, who do not belong to that culture. Since, there are many children from India at Carousel Nursery School, it gave the teachers the perfect opportunity to invite their parents to talk to the children about the celebration. It was great that some parents could take out time and visit the nursery to share something about Holi celebrations. A big thank you to them for making this celbration even more special.

Special circle for Holi
Circle time was made special because one of the parents brought organic colours from India and showed the children how they are used during Holi. The parents also talked to the group about the significance of the festival.Holi Celebration inside the Nursery
The children smeared face paint on each other and also painted a big white cloth with their hand prints. There was lots of singing and dancing on Indian music.Holi celebration at the park outside
The fun didn’t stop indoors. Given that Holi is actually celebrated outside, the fun continued outdoor. Even though Finland is not as warm as India in March, it didn’t deter the spirits of the children and teachers. At the park the children splashed food colour on the snow. They also sprinkled paint at their teacher who went past them seated on a sled.Learning

The children not only got a chance to learn about an Indian festival but the various activities they participated in, were extended to promote different areas of development. Playing with paint made for a great sensory experience for the children. The different art and craft activities that the children did in preperation for Holi aimed at promoting their fine motor skills. Dancing on Indian music was a great way for the children to develop spatial awareness and gross motor skills.

It was indeed a great celebration both for the children and teachers alike.